Re: [Swarm Modelling] Project on GRID-mediated access to agent-based models

[Russell Standish]

Dear Nick,
        I would be interested in trying this out. We have some
experience in using swarm, so should be able to run your model as a
check. We also have a watching brief on Grid technologies, and I'm
interested to see how ABM perform over grids.

                                        Cheers

Nick Gotts wrote:
> 
> Apologies if you receive multiple copies of the message below. Since FEARLUS 
> is written using the Swarm libraries, I thought members of this list might 
> well be interested.
> 
> Regards,
> Nick Gotts
> 
> Dear Colleagues,
> 
> As  you are  no doubt  aware,  one of  the key  problems for  computer
> modelling in  academic research is  that of repeatability.   For novel
> approaches  such as agent-based  modelling in  particular, researchers
> need  to be able  to examine,  experiment with,  and use  each others'
> models,  (and to  take the  time to  do  so) if  we are  to go  beyond
> producing and describing interesting models, to their effective use in
> social science  and policy contexts. We consider  that emerging "Grid"
> related            technologies            (http://www.gridforum.org/,
> http://www.semanticgrid.org/)  have  the potential  to  support a  new
> level of collaborative/competitive interactions between research teams
> in agent-based modelling  and related areas, and write  to invite your
> participation in a proposed  pilot project, exploring the potential of
> the  Grid to  contribute  to e-Social  Science.  This is  a matter  of
> urgency, as we have an application deadline of 26 February to meet.
> 
> In collaboration with colleagues at the University of Aberdeen, we are
> writing  a proposal  to a  UK funding  body, for  a 12-18  month pilot
> project that would involve making the FEARLUS model of land-use change
> (http://www.macaulay.ac.uk/fearlus/) available  via Grid technologies,
> specifically  the  emerging Open  Grid  Services Architecture  (OGSA),
> which aims to integrate Grid and Web service concepts and technologies
> (http://www.globus.org/ogsa/).  This would allow  us to make our model
> available as a  service for other researchers to  use, with the effect
> that  they   could  run   large-scale  experiments  with   FEARLUS  on
> high-performance computing  facilities without having  to download and
> compile  it.  The  pilot  project is  being  designed with  a view  to
> forming an  EU FP6 Integrated Project  to do the same  with many other
> models.
> 
> The  proposed work  will include:  (1)  describing FEARLUS  as a  Grid
> service, so that  remote users can discover and  invoke it, and obtain
> interpretable results; (2)  maintaining histories of interactions with
> users,  allowing  experiments  to   be  replayed  and  results  to  be
> aggregated; (3) managing the Grid  service, to control user access and
> allocation of resources.   It would assist us greatly  in this initial
> project if we  could identify a few colleagues willing  to be named in
> our pilot project proposal, as  agreeing to help to assess the planned
> Grid deployment of FEARLUS, in one of two possible roles:
> 
> (a) In a  research role, either  comparing results from your own model
> with those from FEARLUS, checking results in FEARLUS publications, or
> exploring FEARLUS's capabilities and limitations as a stage in the
> process of designing a new model.
> 
> (b)  In a  teaching role,  using   FEARLUS as  part of  an appropriate
> lecture course (FEARLUS has already been used in teaching at
> postgraduate level).
> 
> Agreeing to be named in  the proposal would not  constitute or imply a
> legal  or  contractual obligation to   take   part in  the  assessment
> process, but of course we would want to name anyone who did not expect
> to do so. The requirements of doing so would be a negotiable amount of
> time for the   work involved in (a)   or  (b) above,  and   to give us
> feedback from that  work (perhaps by  answering  a questionnaire); and
> possibly a willingness to install a thin client to access FEARLUS over
> the Grid.
> 
> Those  willing  to  be named will   (if the   application succeeds) be
> consulted about  the facilities to be  made available, to maximise the
> benefit to  their own teaching and/or  research. We  believe they will
> benefit from  our  experience  of  planning and undertaking   the Grid
> deployment of an  agent-based   model,  and  will be in   an  improved
> position   to  join in  potential   Grid-related  and e-Social Science
> projects - ours and others'. Specifically, we would hope they would be
> interested in joining us in the follow-up proposal to the EU. Although
> it is unlikely   we would   be able to   pay   you for  your time   in
> participating in  this exercise, any other  expenses incurred would be
> reimbursed.
> 
> If you  are interested  in getting involved,  please could you  let us
> know as  soon as possible (but  no later than 24  February) which role
> you would be prepared to take  (or indeed if there is another role you
> can think  of that  you would prefer).  Naturally we will  not include
> your  name  without  explicit  permission,  and are  ready  to  answer
> questions to the best of our ability.
> 
> Yours,
>       Nick Gotts and Gary Polhill
> 
> Nick Gotts
> Macaulay Land Use Research Institute
> Aberdeen AB15 8QH
> Scotland, UK
> 
> Tel: +44 (0)1224 498200 ext. 2229
> Fax: +44 (0)1224 311556
> e-mail: address@hidden
> http://www.macaulay.ac.uk/fearlus
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A/Prof Russell Standish                  Director
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